Youngish mum, wearing clothes.

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Monthly Archives: June 2013

So, if you’ve been following my blog/have eyes you’ll have noticed that the summer sales are on. Yay, right? And tomorrow The Dressing Room, one of my very favourite stores, start theirs. Double yay. Being lovely friends of Twentymumthing, they gave me a sneaky preview and sent over a few sale items for me to have a play with. And play I did.

As it is, supposedly, the summer, I thought I’d style up a few summery looks using the bits I received. It wasn’t hard, they’re lovely.

This little number is a great mutli tasker on holiday; you could pull it on over a bikini for poolside lounging, wear with flip flops and a sunhat for sightseeing, or, as I’ve done here, style it with heels for high-octane glamour. I love the 70s shape of it, and the bold print will show off a tan a treat!

This Hale Bob blouse is just so pretty. The very subtle zebra print, beautiful colours and detailed embellishment make it the perfect top for a Riviera jaunt.

Zebra Silk Beaded Print Tunic – Blue, was £210, now £125

I have paired it with white jeans and jewelled sandals for the full St Tropez effect, but actually I think it would work just as well dressed down with denim cut offs! I love the fact that it comes with a matching cami, saves angsting about visible bra issues!

However, for all my mithering about holidays, a lot of us will be staycationing this year (myself included if I don’t get on and book something) and this Day Birger Et Mikkelsen top is ideal for the British climate.

Marine Tee – Grey Melange, was £75, now £49

I’ve put this look together with the British seaside in mind – on a recent trip to Brighton the weather was, by turns, baking, overcast and blustery. The shorts allow my legs to see a bit of sun (Lord knows they need it) and the scarf provides both a flash of colour and a bit of warmth. But then, I don’t really need to tell you how to style this top, do I? Chic stripes and neutral shades style themselves! It’s a great weight and hangs beautifully – no under bra bulges with this little beaut (I do a lot of bra-related angsting don’t I?)

The summer barbecue can become a style quagmire for even the most accomplished fashionista. You’ve got to factor in potentially inclement weather, the need for comfort post burger-binge and the distinct possibility you might fall over after one-too-many glasses of rose. It’s a minefield, I’m telling you. But I think I might just have solved it with my final look, based around these uber-flattering Hudson jeans.

Signature Bootcut – Cannes, were £230, now £169

There be gold in them there jeans… Leg-lengthening, bum-hoisting, hip-narrowing, they do it all, my only gripe is that they are, as usual, about a foot too long for me, but that is premium denim as standard, and nothing my dry cleaner and her sewing machine can’t fix. Back to the BBQ; a chunky wooden sandal or wedge heel eliminates the risk of sinking into the lawn, while a luxe, yet loose, linen tee leaves room to pack in those questionable sausages. A chunky watch finishes the look. You’ll be a beacon of chic in a sea of maxi dresses and cropped cardigans.

Easy peasy this summer dressing, really, isn’t it?* And it’s even easier at a discount! All these items and many, many more can be found here when the sale goes live tomorrow, or, if you’re in the St Albans vicinity, why not pop in for a browse? The lovely team will be only too happy to help you out. Rest assured I’ll be flying the flag for British consumerism, as always! Happy shopping – and don’t forget to share your purchases with me!**

*Grubby bandage optional
**Figuratively, not literally, though I wouldn’t mind that either.

I’m so glad I bagged this shirt. Sometimes after the thrill of the chase, the shine wears off an item, but in this case I’m liking it more and more! The attention to detail is fabulous – look at the way the pockets have been carefully cut so that the pattern is not disturbed…

Been a bit quiet this week, haven’t I? On Tuesday I had an operation to correct a longstanding problem with my right hand so I’m jabbing away on my iPhone with my left thumb, and posts are taking rather longer to get out there!

Anyway, onto the second installment of my sales haul series. I mentioned in this post that I had placed a naughty little order with Jimmy Choo, and here is the result:

Aren’t they beautiful?? I have had my eye on them since the beginning of the year, and I’m so happy to finally have them in my wardrobe. It’s so satisfying when you finally get hold of a long-lusted-after item! They’ve now sold out on the Jimmy Choo site but can be found in limited sizes on Net-a-Porter.

I only allowed myself one pair of beautiful flats, but these glittery slip-ons were close runners-up…

So, the summer sales are upon us and, naturally, I consider it my duty to boost the economy by doing a bit of spending. I’ll be showcasing my buys in a series of ‘sales haul’ posts over the next couple of weeks, mainly so that my husband won’t see a great long list and have a heart attack.

My first buy of the sales season was these gorgeous Michael, Michael Kors gladiator style sandals:

I love MK shoes, they are great quality and surprisingly comfortable. I wore these out for a few drinks last night and, despite the four inch heels, it was a pain-free evening (sadly not a pain-free morning thanks to the consumption of prosecco, but we’ll gloss over that). They’re a lovely glossy stingray effect leather, which looks black in some lights and navy in others, so they go perfectly with all my jeans.

I paid £55 for them in the Harvey Nichols online sale, which I think is a bargain! They’re sold out now, but there are still some great bargains for under £100 to be had:

It’s that time of year… Yes, the summer sales are starting left right and centre. Yippee! I don’t know about you, but I like to use the sales to get a couple of really special bits, rather than bag loads of remorse buys from the high street. And it doesn’t get more special than these Jimmy Choo Biel wedges in orchid glitter…

Now down to £193, I think these would be a fabulous investment purchase. Imagine showing them off at parties!

Sadly, being virtually housebound with a tyrannical 23 month old who will NOT go to bed for anyone but Mummy, I don’t get to a lot of parties, so with much regret I left these beauties on the virtual shelf. I have, however, made a JC sale purchase which is a little more suitable for my lifestyle. Watch this space…